Man, this was a fun and tasty dinner - Jacques Pepin's family favorite.
We started with a dip from Food & Wine magazine (plus a smoked salmon spread) that was wonderful and I'm thinking the leftovers would be good mixed with some hot pasta. It's really garlicky, so you have to like garlic! (By the way, if I see Grace Parisi's name on a recipe in that magazine I automatically save it -her tastes run the same as mine)
* Exported from MasterCook *
White Bean Dip with Herbs
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves -- very finely chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped sage
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
Two 19-ounce cans cannellini beans -- drained
2 tablespoons water
Salt
Cayenne pepper
Pita chips -- for serving
In a medium skillet, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil until shimmering. Add the garlic, sage and rosemary and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until fragrant and the garlic is just beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add the beans and toss to coat.
Transfer the cannellini beans to a food processor. Add the water, season with salt and cayenne and process to a fairly smooth puree. Transfer the dip to a small serving bowl, drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil on top and serve with pita chips.
Notes
Drizzling a high quality olive oil over this dip will add depth and complexity, but stick with a less-expensive supermarket brand when sautéing the garlic and herbs in Step 1.
Any canned white beans can be used in place of the cannellini.
Search for easy-to-find tangy, crisp vernaccia di san gimignano
Description:
"Recipe by Grace Parisi"
------
then we had the beet & corn salad (posted the recipe a couple weeks ago). Forgot to take a picture last night, so plated it again this a.m., but of course the beets and corn had melded together a little too much, but still tastes good!
Then on to Jacques' dinner - oh my it was so good and I must have had THREE 'old' Germans at the table because they all three loaded their plates twice.
* Exported from MasterCook *
Choucroute Garnie
1/3 cup kosher salt -- plus more for seasoning
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 pounds pork back ribs or baby back ribs -- cut into 3 sections
6 pounds sauerkraut (in plastic bags) -- drained
1/4 cup duck or goose fat or peanut oil
1 large onion -- coarsely chopped
4 large garlic cloves -- coarsely chopped
20 juniper berries
3 large bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups Riesling or Pinot Gris
2 pounds Polish kielbasa -- skinned and cut into 2-inch pieces
10 skinless hot dogs
One 2-pound piece of boneless boiled ham (3 to 4 inches wide) -- sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 pounds medium potatoes (about 10) -- peeled
Assorted mustards -- for serving
In a large, sturdy, resealable plastic bag, combine the 1/3 cup of kosher salt with the sugar. Add the pork ribs; shake well to thoroughly coat the ribs with the seasonings. Seal the bag and refrigerate the ribs overnight or for up to 24 hours.
The next day, preheat the oven to 300°. Rinse the sauerkraut in cold water and squeeze dry. Set a large roasting pan over 2 burners on high heat and melt the duck fat. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes.
Stir in the sauerkraut, juniper berries, bay leaves, caraway seeds, black pepper, stock and wine and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
Meanwhile, rinse the pork ribs under cold water and pat dry. Nestle the pork ribs in the sauerkraut and bring back to a boil over moderately high heat. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours.
Remove the pork ribs from the sauerkraut. Cut down in between the ribs. Return the ribs to the sauerkraut and nestle in the kielbasa, hot dogs and ham. Cover and bake until the meats are hot, about 25 minutes. Discard the bay leaves.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cover the potatoes with cold water, add salt and bring to a boil over high heat; cook the potatoes until tender when pierced. Drain the potatoes and cover to keep warm.
To serve, mound the hot sauerkraut in the center of very hot dinner plates and partially tuck in the pork ribs and the kielbasa. Arrange the hot dogs and ham around the sauerkraut. Alternatively, pile the sauerkraut on a large heated platter and garnish with the meats. Serve the choucroute with the boiled potatoes and assorted mustards.
Make Ahead
The choucroute can be prepared through Step 3 and refrigerated for 3 days. Reheat before proceeding.
Wine
In Alsace, choucroute's traditional wine partner is either a rich, spicy Gewürztraminer or a bone-dry, crisp Riesling. However, an Alsace Gewürztraminer can actually overpower choucroute's spicy, herby flavors and make the dish taste sweet. A better match is an Alsace Ries-ling, which is delicately floral with an acidity that matches the sauerkraut and balances the richness of the pork. Josmeyer's structured 2004 Le Kottabe Alsace Riesling is a great choice.
Description:
"by Jacques Pépin Families in Alsace generally eat choucroute garnie during the wintertime, because it's such a hearty, filling dish. I've adapted the recipe to make it quicker and easier-calling for store-bought sauerkraut instead of the homemade kind. I always serve two or three types of mustard with the choucroute - a hot Dijon, a grainy Pommery and often a tarragon-flavored mustard as well."
----
and one of the guests insisted he wanted to bring his chocoate Pot de Creme, so I 'allowed'
We started with a dip from Food & Wine magazine (plus a smoked salmon spread) that was wonderful and I'm thinking the leftovers would be good mixed with some hot pasta. It's really garlicky, so you have to like garlic! (By the way, if I see Grace Parisi's name on a recipe in that magazine I automatically save it -her tastes run the same as mine)
* Exported from MasterCook *
White Bean Dip with Herbs
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves -- very finely chopped
1 teaspoon finely chopped sage
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
Two 19-ounce cans cannellini beans -- drained
2 tablespoons water
Salt
Cayenne pepper
Pita chips -- for serving
In a medium skillet, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil until shimmering. Add the garlic, sage and rosemary and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until fragrant and the garlic is just beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Add the beans and toss to coat.
Transfer the cannellini beans to a food processor. Add the water, season with salt and cayenne and process to a fairly smooth puree. Transfer the dip to a small serving bowl, drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil on top and serve with pita chips.
Notes
Drizzling a high quality olive oil over this dip will add depth and complexity, but stick with a less-expensive supermarket brand when sautéing the garlic and herbs in Step 1.
Any canned white beans can be used in place of the cannellini.
Search for easy-to-find tangy, crisp vernaccia di san gimignano
Description:
"Recipe by Grace Parisi"
------
then we had the beet & corn salad (posted the recipe a couple weeks ago). Forgot to take a picture last night, so plated it again this a.m., but of course the beets and corn had melded together a little too much, but still tastes good!
Then on to Jacques' dinner - oh my it was so good and I must have had THREE 'old' Germans at the table because they all three loaded their plates twice.
* Exported from MasterCook *
Choucroute Garnie
1/3 cup kosher salt -- plus more for seasoning
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 pounds pork back ribs or baby back ribs -- cut into 3 sections
6 pounds sauerkraut (in plastic bags) -- drained
1/4 cup duck or goose fat or peanut oil
1 large onion -- coarsely chopped
4 large garlic cloves -- coarsely chopped
20 juniper berries
3 large bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups Riesling or Pinot Gris
2 pounds Polish kielbasa -- skinned and cut into 2-inch pieces
10 skinless hot dogs
One 2-pound piece of boneless boiled ham (3 to 4 inches wide) -- sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 pounds medium potatoes (about 10) -- peeled
Assorted mustards -- for serving
In a large, sturdy, resealable plastic bag, combine the 1/3 cup of kosher salt with the sugar. Add the pork ribs; shake well to thoroughly coat the ribs with the seasonings. Seal the bag and refrigerate the ribs overnight or for up to 24 hours.
The next day, preheat the oven to 300°. Rinse the sauerkraut in cold water and squeeze dry. Set a large roasting pan over 2 burners on high heat and melt the duck fat. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, about 7 minutes.
Stir in the sauerkraut, juniper berries, bay leaves, caraway seeds, black pepper, stock and wine and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
Meanwhile, rinse the pork ribs under cold water and pat dry. Nestle the pork ribs in the sauerkraut and bring back to a boil over moderately high heat. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours.
Remove the pork ribs from the sauerkraut. Cut down in between the ribs. Return the ribs to the sauerkraut and nestle in the kielbasa, hot dogs and ham. Cover and bake until the meats are hot, about 25 minutes. Discard the bay leaves.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cover the potatoes with cold water, add salt and bring to a boil over high heat; cook the potatoes until tender when pierced. Drain the potatoes and cover to keep warm.
To serve, mound the hot sauerkraut in the center of very hot dinner plates and partially tuck in the pork ribs and the kielbasa. Arrange the hot dogs and ham around the sauerkraut. Alternatively, pile the sauerkraut on a large heated platter and garnish with the meats. Serve the choucroute with the boiled potatoes and assorted mustards.
Make Ahead
The choucroute can be prepared through Step 3 and refrigerated for 3 days. Reheat before proceeding.
Wine
In Alsace, choucroute's traditional wine partner is either a rich, spicy Gewürztraminer or a bone-dry, crisp Riesling. However, an Alsace Gewürztraminer can actually overpower choucroute's spicy, herby flavors and make the dish taste sweet. A better match is an Alsace Ries-ling, which is delicately floral with an acidity that matches the sauerkraut and balances the richness of the pork. Josmeyer's structured 2004 Le Kottabe Alsace Riesling is a great choice.
Description:
"by Jacques Pépin Families in Alsace generally eat choucroute garnie during the wintertime, because it's such a hearty, filling dish. I've adapted the recipe to make it quicker and easier-calling for store-bought sauerkraut instead of the homemade kind. I always serve two or three types of mustard with the choucroute - a hot Dijon, a grainy Pommery and often a tarragon-flavored mustard as well."
----
and one of the guests insisted he wanted to bring his chocoate Pot de Creme, so I 'allowed'
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
www.achefsjourney.com